Nail Series: At-Home Gel Nails

Continuing the Nail Polish Series, I am happy to share my at home gel polish process! I have gotten gel several times at salons but if I were to go regularly, I would end up spending about $60 per month. So I did some research and played around with the at home gel light and love it!

I do want to address that I used the Red Carpet brand only because their polish is made specifically for an LED light. You can find Essie and Sally Hansen gel polish in stores but they don’t have the same effect and are not only made to use with the light. Also it may seem like there are a lot of steps, but they do not take long at all! The best part is that they dry right away. Hope you enjoy! Feel free to ask questions in the comments or DM me on Instagram.

Step 1: Buffer

It is important to use a buffer so that the polish sticks to your nails. I use the 7-way buffers from Ulta that are super inexpensive. I have my own metal file that I use for the ends of my nails so I skip step three on the Ulta buffer.

Diamond Cosmetics 7 Way Nail Buffer — $1.29

** IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS TOGETHER FOR A DISCOUNT, I LINKED THEM BELOW**

Red Carpet Manicure Pro 45 Starter Kit — $80

Step 2: Purity Pre and Post Cleanser

This may not look that important, but trust me, you need this or else your nails won’t turn out! I linked the small bottle because you don’t need to use much of it at all at a time. Just apply the product to a cotton ball as if you were applying nail polish remover. Brush over each nail, and save the cotton ball because you will use it again at the end. So you just need one cotton ball with a little cleanser on for the whole process! It’s only $4 and will last you a long time!

Red Carpet Manicure Step 3: Purify Pre & Post Application Cleanser 4.0 oz — $4

Step 3: Prep Max adhesion Sanitizer

This cleans your nails to prepare them for the base coat. This will also last a long time!

Red Carpet Manicure Step 1: Prep — $3.99

Step 4: Structure Gel Base Coat

I have noticed that this does not fully cure after one coat, and can look a little rocky on the nails. This is normal and you can apply the color even if the base coat isn’t fully cured.

Red Carpet Manicure Step 2: Structure — $9.99

Step 5: Cure for 60 secs

I purchased the slight on amazon when it was still $23 (it has gone up $7 so I would suggest purchasing soon incase it goes up more!). Here is a quick list of its features:

pretty light pink color
4.5/5 stars
display screen on top
affordable at $30 on prime
4 buttons for 10s/30s/60s/99s and 120s low heat mode
fingerprint indents so you know where to place your fingers
automatic sensor
removable bottom piece
works with all gel polish brands and normal nail polish

Abody Nail Lamp 48W UV LED Nail Dryer, Gel Nail Lamp with 5 Timer Setting, Automatic Sensor, LCD Display, Memory and Pause Timer Function for Fingernail & Toenail, Pink — $30

Step 6: 1st Coat of Color

Red Carpet Manicure has so many colors to choose from! Here is one of my favorites.

Red Carpet Manicure Style Blooms LED Gel Nail Polish Collection Platform Pop — $10

Step 7: Cure for 60s

Like the base coat, it is OK if the nail polish is not completely dry after curing. We will address this at the end!

Step 8: 2nd Coat of Color

Step 9: Cure for 60s

Step 10: Brilliance Top Coat

Red Carpet Manicure Step 2: Brilliance — $10

Step 11: Cure for 60s

Step 12: Purity Pre and Post Cleanser

This last step may be the most crucial! Using that same cotton ball as before, wipe down your painted nails. This was a new thing for me, when I went to salons I never understood why they would wipe down my nails after painting them. But you need to do this – when your nails are all painted and cured, there is a sticky reside left on top that makes it seem like your nails are still wet. This cleanser takes that stickiness away, leaving your nails shine and dry!

Removing Polish

To remove the gel polish, saturate cotton balls with the gel polish remover below. Place one cotton ball over each finger or toe, and secure with aluminum foil. Leave in place for 10-15 mins. I would definitely recommend using this instead of trying to peal it off so your nails don’t get damaged.

And that’s it! I hope this helped to break down the process of at home gel nails and saves you money in the future!

Photo Credits

nail buffer https://rstyle.me/+i329WA2UP7vuo3W9J4lKcQ
step 2 https://rstyle.me/+0tyAJVjQsXg7ZtEQMp0qGw
step 3 https://rstyle.me/+s4ZPCMGA5XKqstJVOCTnMQ
light https://rstyle.me/+aFnTUoEksJ3H71XHaZuJSg
must have kit https://rstyle.me/+Q2F3-64KD5u9RUJx2dEvjA
purple polish https://rstyle.me/+jJ0XGUHgqvh0tBV4VRHvDA
pro starter kit https://rstyle.me/+IW4xUuMmiYuiUzr2Xa0RVQ
top coat https://rstyle.me/+Opoea2tY7FVmpRlw2wWqvg
remover https://rstyle.me/+JUXgX97MtnWyhd67Jh59qA
purity https://rstyle.me/+5O0P0JPcUvF5uSv3CX1xUg